Government rejects compulsory sex education

The government has rejected a call from the Independent Advisory
Group on Teenage Pregnancy to make sex education in schools a
compulsory part of the curriculum.

The group, set up by the government to advise on reducing teen
pregnancies, said it was disappointed that the government had
rejected this recommendation.

But a spokesperson said other recommendations were been
considered, and congratulated the government on its commitment to
tackle teenage pregnancy rates.

The 10% fall in under-18 conceptions and the 11% drop amongst
the under-16s, from 1998-2001, was extremely encouraging, but still
more must be done to reduce teenage pregnancy rates which are still
the highest in western Europe, said the group.